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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. spring — the season
  3. degree — temperature
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. degree — an amount
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. race — the arms race
  8. spring — of water
  9. cell — in biology
  10. race — a contest
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. spring — a coil
  13. foot — a measure
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. race — humankind
  22. degree — from a university
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. cell — a phone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com